Yacht Club Beach closed through holiday weekend

July 5, 2013

The Yacht Club beach is closed through the holiday weekend due to high levels of bacteria in the water. The Lee County Health Department issued an advisory and placed warning signs at the beach Wednesday. Additional testing will continue, and the beach will remain closed until bacteria levels are below accepted U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The next test results will be completed Tuesday.

Enterococcus bacteria normally inhabit the intestinal tract of humans and animals. The presence of an elevated concentration of these bacteria is an indicator of pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets, wildlife or sewage.

While the cause of the elevated enterococcus bacteria is not certain, the Yacht Club beach has been closed in the past following heavy rainfall and high water flow in the Caloosahatchee River. The Health Department is responsible for conducting routine testing of all public beaches.

For more information go to www.leechd.com and click on Beach Water Status. You also can contact the DOH's Lee Environmental Engineering office at (239) 274-2200 during regular business hours.